Pontoon seal for floating decks



July 19, 1932. J. F. KIMBELL PONTOON SEAL FOR FLOATING DECKS Filed July11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 19, 1932. J. F. KIMBELL PONTOON SEAL FORFLOATING DECKS 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1928 Patented July 19,1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES F. KIMBELL, F LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRONCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS PONTOON SEALFOR FLOATING DECKS Application filed July 11, 1928. Serial No. 291,887.

. This invention relates to floating decks of the type employed on oiltanks and containers and refers particularly to the seal employedbetween the deck and side wall of the tank.

The floating decks employed in oil tanks generally comprise a floatingdeck proper of fixed diameter, which diameter isinade somewhat smallerthan the side wall of the tank and the space between the floating deckand the side wall of the tank is normally closed by expandible elementsconnected with the floating deck and referred to as seals. The floatingdecks of the best type 1 are those formed of a number of pontoons sothat the floating deck provides over the surface of the liquids, aninsulating seal of air space. v Heretofore, however, there has not beenprovided a seal between the floating deck which forms such a dead airspace.

An object "of the present invention is to provide a floating deck with avariable sealing means which is made up of, or includes a plurality ofindividual pontoons so that the seal between the floating deck and theside walls of the tank provides a dead air space for cutting downevaporation of the contents of the tank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a buoyant part ofa seal so constructed and arranged that the buoyant effect of such partof the seal is made use of as a means for yieldingly holding the seal inthe expanded position.

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will beunderstood from the description of the preferred form or example of afloating deck and seal thereof, embodying the invention. For this pur-40 pose, there is hereinafter described, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, the preferred form of forms of floating decks andseals embodying the, invention.

In the drawings: Y

Figure l is a plan view of a pair of ad]acent sealing floats of afloating deck.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the deck showing theseal.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the v 9 line 3-3 of Figure Figure 4is a fragmentary section on the line ir-4: of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation in vertical section of a preferredform of deck and seal therefor.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of a furthermodified form of floating deck and seal therefor.

Referring to the drawings:

1 indicates the side wall of a tank or container of liquid in which afloating deck 2 is intended to float.- The floating deck is indicated asof the pontoon type and provided with an internal brace 3 between thetop walls 4: andthe bottom walls 5 of the pontoon. It is understood thatany desired form of pontoon deck may be employed and the deck may becomposed of a plurality of, pontoons suitably secured together. Thepontoons of the deck or the outer ring of pontoons are indicated ashaving their bottom walls 5 sloped upwardly as indicated at 6 and on thesloping portions 6 of the pontoons, there is indi cated a bracket 7carrying rollers 8. One bracket 7 is employed for each of the pontoonseals hereinafter described.

In the preferred form of the bracket there is mounted a roller 8 at eachside of the bracket for slidably engaging a track in a pontoon sealingmember 9. The pontoon sealing members 9, at their opposite sides andnear their upper edges, are provided with channel ways 10 in which therollers 8 are disposed. The pontoons 9 are indicated as preferably of ageneral triangular shape in elevation and as having their outer sidesprovided with a vertical portion 11 for slidably engaging the side wall1 of the tank. In horizontal or plane, the pontoon sealing members 9 arein sector shape and a circular series of the pontoon sealing members areprovided so that they substantially fill the intervening space'betweenthe floating deck proper and the side wall 1 of the tank.

By the construction thus described, the pontoon members 9 which containan air space, are urged outwardly against the side wall of the tank bythe buoyant effect of the liquid within the tank pushing the sealingmembers 9 against the inclined roller bracket 8. The

floating deck also preferably includes a rim 12 near the seal forpreventing gases from passing into the sealing space. There is alsopreferably provided an upstanding rim 13 on the upper periphery of thedeck which serves to prevent water passing down through the sealingspace. The upstanding rim 13 also preferably mounts a plurality ofsealing plates 14 extending upwardly and outwardly from the rim to theside wall 1 and curved at their ends, as indicated at 15. The sealingplates 14 have offset edges 16 so that the ad- ]acent sealing plates areadapted to overlap.

Now referring to the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, thefloating deck 17 is indicated as of the pontoon type and having theinternal bracing 18a. The bottom wall of the pontoon or outer pontoonsof the deck slopes slightly upwardly, as indicated at 18, to provide anupwardly sloping track for pontoon sealing members 19. The pontoonsealing members 19 are indicated as sliding directly against the slopingwall '18 of the pentoon 17. The said pontoon sealing members are alsosector shape in cross section and in practice, a circular series of thesame are provided in order to substantiallycompletely close the spacebetween the deck 17 and the side wall 20 0f the tank in which the deckfloats. The pontoon sealing members 19 are indicated as having a falseside 21 so that only the outer portion of the sealing members form anair-tight buoyant chamber, the inner portion of the pontoon membersreceiving a guiding rod 22 which is supported by a bracket 23 at thebottom of the pontoon 17 Between the bracket 23 and the pontoon member19, there is indicated a tension means such as the coil spring 24 forurging the pontoon members 19 outwardly from the deck 1.

, The pontoon 17 also has an upstanding rim 25 to which is pivotallysecured metallic wear plates 26 which extend downwardly and outwardlyinto contact with the side walls 20 and are curved inwardly at theirends, as indicated at 27. Behind the wear plates 26 there is indicated agas-tight curtain 28 attached to the floating deck at its upper end andto the lower end of the wear plate, as indicated at 29 and 30,respectively.

The wear plates 26 thus operate as air receiving members, while thegas-tight curtain 28 is the final seal of the deck. The wear plates 26are so related relative to the pontoon sealing members 19, that thepontoon sealing members 19 normally engage the outer portion of the wearplates and urge the same into contact with the side wall 20. There isalso indicated a well 31 by which gas may be Withdrawn from the lowerside of the floating deck, if desired.

Now, referring to Figure 6 of the drawings, a floating deck of pontoontype 32 is indicated having a horizontal groove 33 at its outerperiphery for receiving pontoon sealing members 34, which'are designedto move horizontally in operation. Between the pontoon 32 and thepontoon sealing members 34 are provided tension means 35-for urging thepontoon sealing members outwardly. The pontoon 32 has the upstanding rim36 to .which is secured metallic wear plates 37 which engage the sidewalls of the tank 38 in which the deck is floating. There is alsoprovided a gas-tight curtain 39 between the pontoon wear members 3 1 andsealing plates 37.

While the forms of floating decks and seals therefore herein describedare well adapted to carry out the object of the present inven-' mallyurged outwardly toward the wall of the tank, said radially movablemembers adapted to slide on said inclined surface; and sealing meanscarried by the deck lying between said radially movable members and thewall of the tank, said sealing means being urged outwardly against thewall of the tank by said radially movable members.

2. An oil storage tank having a floating deck therein with an inclinedsurface at its periphery; a plurality of radially mov-- able members atthe periphery of said deck normally urged outwardly toward the wall ofthe tank, said members adapted to slide on said inclined surface; wearplates carried by the deck lying between said radially movable membersand the wall of the tank and urged outwardly against the wall of. thetank by said radially movable members; and a flexible sealing curtainwith its upper edge attached to the deck and its lower edge submerged inliquid in the tank, said curtain lying between said wear plates and saidradially movable memr 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which theradially movable members are! buoyant.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the radially movablemembers are buoyant.

Signed at Los Angles, California, this 5th day of July, 1928.

' JAMES F. KIMBELL.

